BACOLOD CITY—No other Filipino football club logged more air miles and played more matches than Ceres Negros FC in 2017.
So when the Busmen played their 44th game in 11 months last Saturday night in the Philippines Football League final, they were expected to plod at the last hurdle.
But the Busmen hardly looked like a spent force.
Counterattacking at every opportunity, Ceres picked apart a surprisingly listless Global Cebu side on the way to an impressive 4-1 victory to make history as the first champion of the country’s professional league at Panaad Stadium here.
The win not only spoke volumes of the team’s quality but the resolve of the side to not let up even with an AFC Cup already in the bag.
“It’s a testament of the hardwork of the players, coaches and the staff,” said Ceres chair Leo Rey Yanson, who lifted the PFL trophy with his mother, Olivia Yanson, by his side.
“We set goals at the start of the year and I’m happy that we’ve made history in the AFC Cup and in the PFL. To achieve this in front of our own supporters made it more special for the club.”
The Busmen unveiled a retooled squad at the start of the year after a disappointing 2016 campaign where they yielded the league crown to Global and got eliminated in the Round of 16 of the AFC Cup.
“We’re quite a new team,” said Iain Ramsay, one of the players acquired at the start of the season. “It took a bit of time, but once we knew our playing style and believed in that style of coach Risto (Vidakovic), everything just clicked. We respect everybody, but we just know if we play to our style, play to our strengths we can beat anyone.”
Ceres had struggled against Global in recent seasons, particularly when the two powerhouse sides played in the United Football League.
Ramsay produced a hat trick after assisting on Bienvenido Maranon’s fourth minute strike as Ceres completed a magical finish to the season.